Krewe of Cleopatra & Saturday Parades

Again, I have little time to blog but I did want to share some photos from the Krewes of Cleopatra, Pontchartrain, Choctaw, Sparta and Pygmalion. Krewe of Cleopatra was my first parade this year dancing with the Pussyfooters. I always love dancing with the “Pink Army” but I had an extra pep in my step this time.

Krewe of Jingle Parade 2016

The Canal Street Home for the Holidays Krewe of Jingle Parade features dance troupes, stilt-walkers, marching bands, majorettes, floats, Santa and local favorite – Mr. Bingle. Organized by the Downtown Development District, the parade rolled for the 9th year, attracting locals and tourists – many in festive costumes of their own. Krewe of Jingle is one of my favorite parades to dance in with my “pink sisters,” the Pussyfooters.

Krewe of Orpheus Parade

The Krewe of Orpheus parade is one of my favorites. The first all-inclusive Krewe (male, female, all races, etc.), Orpheus celebrates performing artists with glorious Kern Studios floral floats dripping with giant pearls. A Super Krewe of 1,300 riders, everything about the parade is grand. The parade opened with the Marines playing a sexy, bluesy version of House of the Rising Sun as waves of gas-lamp twirling flambeaux lit the way for giant school bands. The Simpson’s, Harry Shearer and Mayor Mitch Landrieu rode the first float followed by Castle‘s Nathan Fillion on the Monarch Float we rode in with Quentin Tarantino in 2014. Local-born parade co-founder Harry Connick Jr. waved from the next float.

Krewes of Pontchartrain & Choctaw

It’s Carnival time and the parades are in full swing. It was a balmy beautiful day for the Krewes of Pontchartrain and Choctaw so St. Charles was crowded with families, coolers and ladder chairs. Krewe of Pontchartrain (established 1975 and named for Lake Pontchartrain) is a tractor-drawn parade with an open door policy allowing even tourists to ride with them.  The Big Easy Rollergirls got things “rolling” along with  dance teams including  The Dance Connection, Xtreme Voltage Dance Team, Dance Innovation and the Muff-A-Lottas (all pictured below).

Krewes of Pontchartrain, Choctaw and Freret

This sunny, warm Saturday, the parades kicked into high gear with 5 parades rolling the Uptown route and 2 parades in the Marigny. We hit the daytime ones, the Krewes of Pontchartrain, Choctaw and Freret.  The tractor-drawn Krewe of Pontchartrain (established 1975 and named for Lake Pontchartrain) allows anyone with the cash to roll with them – even if they’re here as a tourist! The Dance Connection led the way for other dance teams including Xtreme Voltage Dance Team, Dance Innovation and crowd favorite – the Muff-A-Lottas (all pictured below).

Endymion at Gallier Hall

This was my second year watching the Krewe of Endymion parade from the bleachers, this time – right in front of stately Gallier Hall with each float and band putting on a show for the Mayor. I was privy to all the pomp and ritual – the toasts with royalty and the smashing of champagne glasses. (I got to relive the moment standing next to Quentin Tarantino days later on his Orpheus float as he received his Key to the City, made his speech and smashed his glass).

Krewes of Druid and Nyx Parades

Wednesday was the Krewe of Ancient Druids (established 1998) parade followed by the newest women’s parade – the Mystic Krewe of Nyx in their 3rd year. I’m scrambling to manage my schedule so apologies for not doing links to other sites, photo labels and descriptions of the evening. Since I can’t label the photos (or narrow them down much), here are the dance teams and bands I photographed at Druids: Chalmette, Shine Time, John Ehret, Helen Cox, Gris Gris Strut, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sci Academy, Sophie B. wright, Xtreme Voltage and Superstar Steppers.

Revolution Second Line, Class Got Brass and More!

This past weekend has become one of the more jam-packed of the year including events like Hogs for the Cause, the Revolution Second Line, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival and the Class Got Brass competition. Hogs for the Cause has moved it’s rather large festival to City Park, but weddings and birthdays kept us from the festivities benefitting families facing  pediatric brain cancer. But we did manage to hit all the Armstrong Park-centered events. The annual Revolution Social Aid & Pleasure Club Second Line starts at Armstrong and winds its way through city streets gathering paraders as it goes.

Okeanos, Mid-City, Thoth and Bacchus Parades

Saturday was a big parade day. I envy the children and imagine the marathon party of Mardi Gras is so much more fun for kids than the one single day of Christmas. If we adults look forward all year to wearing costumes, playing in the street and catching beads and toys, the kids must go bananas!

Krewes of Babylon, Chaos and Muses Parades

Last year, I had very little time to luxuriate in Mardi Gras madness. Django Unchained was ramping up to arrive on Ash Wednesday and I was traveling and working hard to prepare for filming. This year, the movie is out and it’s a hit – #1 globally 3 weeks in a row, 2 Golden Globe wins and 5 Oscar nominations including Best Picture. I can hardly believe I’m a part of it. But between the movie and my new book, Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments int a a Career, I’m again traveling and working hard during Mardi Gras.